The angular Atom has a sharp, uncluttered appearance, and its large, two-part buttoned central ridge gives a positive feel for gloved fingers.
Fitting is very simple: a choice of rubber bungees strap the unit to the handlebar or stem, with two cable ties for securing the wireless sensor. Setting it up was also easy, though we questioned the usefulness of the adjustable screen contrast.
Functions include current, average and max speed, odometer, trip, clock and ride time – all cycled through with the right-hand button. A neat feature is the ability to reset individual values, but with unmarked buttons it takes a few rides to remember which is which.
The display was very clear, though we found the screen edges can be clipped by shadow in some light. Speed is recorded in tenths and was accurate, though when accelerating from rest there was a pronounced lag of several seconds before the readout caught up and reached cruising speed.
Build quality is good, it has a battery life indicator and Blackburn’s lifetime warranty means it’s one for the long haul.
